How To Clean A Pellet Stove?

During winter season, pellet stoves receive constant use, which means regular and proper maintenance is a must to keep them working in their optimal condition.

Before we even begin, a very important question that arises is how often will your pellet stove need cleaning?

More or less, it depends on the type of design of the stove, and the type of fuel that you burn in it. Moreover, not all of the pellet stoves are created equal. There will be a huge difference in cleaning when it comes to a high-priced stove vs. a medium or low-cost pellet.

Step by Step Guide To Clean a Pellet Stove?

As opposed to a wood burning stove, pellet stoves are a lot easier to clean. The reason being are the little ashes that it produced, which makes the cleaning process simple and less messy.

Below, we have discussed some ways to clean your pellet stove and how to reduce the time you spend on cleaning it on a monthly basis. Once you get used to, and know the exact steps to follow, it shouldn’t take you more than 20-minutes every month.

Depending on how often you your pellet stove, you may have to clean it every two weeks or even once a week.

So, without further ado, let us discuss some simple ways to clean your pellet stove step-by-step.

Parts of the Pellet Stove You Need to Clean

• Its casing or the outer body of the stove
• Its burning pot
• The Glass
• Trash drawer or the ashpan

1: Cleaning The Inside Of The Stove

Cleaning the inside of your pellet stove or its firebox is something that you should be doing every two days. But again, the frequency of it will depend on the type of pellets you use. For instance, if it certifies that it burns better and leaves less residues, then you should be looking at less maintenance chores.

The most important thing when cleaning the inside of your stove is cleaning its brazier. This helps to ensure that the air flows smoothly into its combustion chamber, and this results in flawless operation of your stove.

You can use a normal vacuum cleaner, or even a canister vacuum to remove the ash.

If you see any scaling, you must first remove the brazier from its seat and all the holes, and only then clean the grate thoroughly.

2: Cleaning the Stove Glass

Another very important thing to do when cleaning your pellet stove is cleaning the stove’s glass. This is required not just for proper operation of your stove, but also to have a clear and fine view of the flame burning inside the stove.

If you were using high-quality pellets, and the installation process was done correctly, only a small amount of ash will be deposited on the glass, and you would be able to clean it easily using a dry paintbrush.

Whenever scaling occurs, you should use a neutral glass spray that contains no abrasives. Moreover, use it in small amounts only, and ensure that you do not spray it on the stove’s painted parts, nor on the ceramic fiber seal of the fire door. These parts could easily get damaged if you are not careful.

3: Get In Touch With A Technician For Annual Servicing

You should also get in touch with a technician for an annual servicing of your pellet stove. In most of the cases, it could be from your stove’s manufacturer. This will help ensure that your pellet stove is working in its optimal condition, and stays good for the next season as well.

What Other Things Do You Need to Take Care Of? 

Some other important things you need to take care of when cleaning your pellet stove includes:

• Cleaning rust from the stove
• Cleaning its exterior
• Cleaning ashes of burn pot

Cleaning The Rust

To get rid of the rust inside your pellet stove, start off with a wire brush. It is very common for the stove to become rustic if it is old.

Carefully inspect the outer body, and look for rust spots so that you can scrap them off easily. Use a sandpaper to remove rust from the exterior of the pellet stove.

Finally, wipe the stove as there will be smudges of lingering ash and dirt on its exterior surface. Best is to prepare a solution of water and vinegar in the ratio of 2:1 to clean any such unwanted buildups off your pellet stove.

Cleaning The Exterior

To clean the exterior of your pellet stove, take an empty spray bottle and add vinegar and water in the ratio of 1:2 to it. Also add some dishwasher soap in it.

Shake the bottle for about a minute, and then spray it on the exterior of your pellet stove. Finally, take a dry cloth to wipe the stove.

Cleaning Ashes of Burn Pot

To clean the ashes of the burn pot, all you need is an ash vacuum cleaner.

First, open the pellet stove door with your hands or any tool that was give to you with your pellet stove.

Next, vacuum the burn pot by plugging the ash cleaner in an electric socket. Bring the vacuum cleaner closer to the ash pot, press the bottom and clean it thoroughly.

After vacuuming the burn pothole, clean the ashes from the upper part of the burn pot.

Things To Take Care Of Cleaning The Pellet Stove

• Wear a surgical mask to keep the fly ash away
• Always use hand gloves to keep your hands clean and safe
• Always check that the pellet stove is off before you attempt to clean it
• If the stove was running and you just turned it off, wait sometime to allow the inner parts of the stove to become cold and safe to touch
• Always use high-quality pellets

Bottom Line

Nonetheless, pellet stoves are used extensively during the winter months and they become very dirty.

We have put together the best information on cleaning your pellet stove. Now, it is your turn to ensure that you clean it on a timely basis to keep up with its performance.